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Remembering Arkansas Debate University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Theses and Dissertations 8-2012 Remembering Arkansas Debate: The seU of Collective Memory in Analyzing the Role of Intercollegiate Debate at the University of Arkansas Barry John Regan University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd Part of the Higher Education Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Regan, Barry John, "Remembering Arkansas Debate: The sU e of Collective Memory in Analyzing the Role of Intercollegiate Debate at the University of Arkansas" (2012). Theses and Dissertations. 513. http://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/513 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Remembering Arkansas Debate: The Use of Collective Memory in Analyzing the Role of Intercollegiate Debate at the University of Arkansas Remembering Arkansas Debate: The Use of Collective Memory in Analyzing the Role of Intercollegiate Debate at the University of Arkansas A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment Of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Communication By Barry John Regan University of Nevada, Las Vegas Bachelor of Arts in Communication, 2010 August 2012 University of Arkansas Abstract As one of the most successful organizations on campus for nearly a century, the University of Arkansas debate team created many memories and stories from their time in competition. According to the framework of collective memory, the production and dissemination of these stories is what connects the past, present, and future of a debate team together. I first reconstruct the history of debate at universities, beginning with development of debate at the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford. I then detail the history of debate and argumentation at American universities, including the first intercollegiate debate in 1881. I then turn to the expansion of debate into the University of Arkansas and its rapid growth from 1896 to the early parts of the 20th century. After a period of “doldrums,” I then examine the successful tenures of Dr. Jack Gregory and Mary Ingalls. After the termination of the team in 1986, I outline how the team came back in 1999 with the creation of the Arkansas Union Society (AUS). The AUS and its intercollegiate debate team experienced great success until the team’s termination in 2009. I finish the historical reconstruction by articulating how I helped restart the team in 2011. Next I provide a review of the literature that examines the way in which students, professors, administrators, and the campus community benefit from a debate team’s existence. Additionally, I provide a narrative perspective from a bevy of Arkansas debate alumni who attest to the wide range of academic and professional benefits they gained from participating with the team. I then turn to the main argument by examining the role of the Arkansas debate team in the context of the collective memory framework. In analyzing the role of the debate team at the University of Arkansas, I argue that the fragmentation of these stories from the multiple cancellations of the team irreparably harms the University as a whole. I conclude by asserting that the Arkansas debate team should move beyond the nostalgia of the past and seek to create new stories and memories for the future. This thesis is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council Thesis Director: __________________________________ Dr. Stephen Smith Thesis Committee: __________________________________ Dr. Mary Lynn Veden __________________________________ Dr. Kasey Walker THESIS DUPLICATION RELEASE I hereby authorize the University of Arkansas Libraries to duplicate this dissertation when needed for research and/or scholarship. Agreed __________________________________________ Barry Regan Refused __________________________________________ Barry Regan Acknowledgements I am forever indebted to my advisor Dr. Stephen Smith, not only for directing this project, but also for mentoring me as I undertook the process of restarting the Arkansas debate team. I also owe a great deal to Dr. Kasey Walker for both serving on my committee and being one of the most helpful and positive influences during my time here at Arkansas. I also cannot thank Dr. Mary Lynn Veden enough for both serving on my committee and providing great insight and advice throughout this entire process. I am so humbled by the dedication and love my family has given me my entire life. Thanks to my mother for showing such great compassion and care in motivating me; thanks to my father for being an exemplary role model and encouraging me when I faced adversity; and thanks to my sister for her altruistic guidance and support. I am also grateful for the camaraderie that I have with my friends Chris Nichols, Jordan Fischette, Justin Fowler, Pate Thomas, and Paras Shukla. Their friendship, no matter the distance, provided me with the support system to finish this project. I am also truly grateful for all my officemates on the 3rd floor of Kimpel Hall, especially Jamie Kern, whose consistent advice never steered me wrong. Finally, I am eternally grateful to my fiancé Carly Cinkovich, whose patience and love made this project possible. Your tolerance for the recollection of debate history is symbolic of your unwavering kindness and support. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Literature Review 4 Statement of the Problem 7 Scope of the Study 7 Methodology 7 Plan of the Study 7 Chapter 2: History of Debate From Early Cambridge to 21st Century Arkansas 11 Cambridge and Oxford 11 American Literary Societies and the Beginning of Intercollegiate Debate 13 The Spawning of Intercollegiate Debate at Arkansas: Garland and Periclean Societies 15 Arkansas Debate in the “Inter-War” and World War II Years: The Decline of Societies 20 Jack Gregory and Mary Ingalls: The Renaissance of Arkansas Debate 24 Decline and Termination: The “Lost Years” of Debate During the 1980’s and 1990’s 31 Filling the Void of Debate: Argumentation and Student Congress 33 Revival of Arkansas Debate in the 2000’s: IPDA and the Arkansas Union Society 35 The Resurgence of Arkansas Debate in 2011-2012 42 Chapter 3: The Benefits of Debate, a Narrative Perspective, Collective Memory, and the Lost Value of Debate at Arkansas 45 The Benefits of Debate: Literature Review 46 The Benefits of Arkansas Debate: A Narrative Perspective 54 Collective Memory and the Lost Value of Debate at Arkansas 63 Chapter 4: Conclusion 72 Endnotes 79 Bibliography 98 Chapter One Introduction to the Study “By engaging students in real, complex public policy questions, competitive debate is nurturing a new generation of engaged, committed citizens.” 1 As the current U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan indicates, competitive debate provides current students with the critical thinking skills and intellectual tools necessary to flourish in modern society. Debate, despite its great impact, is often considered a niche activity because its technical intricacies and insulated culture render the activity “remarkably isolated and esoteric.”2 Yet, for those who participate, debate teaches a wide array of skills and is proven to increase civic engagement and cultural awareness.3 In addition, as an intercollegiate activity, debate and forensics are one of a select few student organizations that can both carry the rich history of a university and prepare it for the future.4 Debate derives its ability to do this from the social interactions and intellectual stimulation that students experience while competing, which spans across all academic areas.5 Universities who support debate programs are eager to articulate these realities to potential competitors because of debate’s excellent track record of recruiting and retaining high-achieving students.6 An integral part of this recruiting process that helps to secure and retain desirable students is to document the successes of the team in a multitude of ways. Whether it be through prominently displayed trophy cases, tournament write-ups in the local newspaper, or providing a list of accomplishments on the university (or department’s) webpage, debate programs place a high priority on exhibiting their accolades.7 1 However, like most intercollegiate competitions, the context and meaning of each award progressively deteriorates as time passes. One way that a debate’s past achievements remain relevant in the present is through the revival and recollection of its importance through stories. As an activity that is predicated upon oratory, the timeless nature of debate resides in its competitive banter, and the ability to articulate those stories years after they took place. Collecting material forms of accomplishment such as trophies and plaques make for great recruiting and marketing tools, but they do not encapsulate the essence of debate. In a presentation at the 2004 essay titled Evaluating Scarcity Byeond the Forensics Experience: Alumni Perspectives Shannon Dyer argues for a comprehensive re-evaluation of how debaters’ accomplishments are framed once they are alumni of the program.8 Dyer argues that too much emphasis is placed on those who won considerable amounts of trophies, and not enough on the success that other debaters achieve once they graduate from the university.
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